You see, the thing is that it isn't just a marketing tool. Peter Wilt is a true fan of the Chicago Fire as well as it's leader. Obviously an unprecidented letter such as this will have the same effect of a masterly crafted marketing ploy but in fact this is an honest attempt by the best GM in sports to treat it's patrons as he himself, as a fan, would like to be treated. This is the way Peter Wilt does business. There is no smoke and mirrors.... there is only The Fire. Thanks Peter
The thing that makes us sure that this is heartfelt and not just cynical PR damage control and that also makes Peter Wilt such a great GM is exactly that this kind of fan communication is not unprecendented. Peter has always been willing to tell the fans what he reasonably can and give it to us as straight as possible where other sports GMs either waffle, lie or deem their paying customers (the fans) unworthy of communication entirely. If MLS could clone Peter Wilt, the league would be much better off.
From the outside, I just have to say--I envy you guys! What a great, classy move by Wilt. I've always had a great deal of respect for the Fire, and this only deepens it.
To clarify, I meant unprecedented by anyone other then Peter Wilt. (I thought that was pretty obvious, but back to the drawing board)
Hey, will you stop taking shots at Nick Sakiewicz. He's supposed to make an announcement in the next 60 days regarding a new stadium for the Metros.
From a Revolution Fan If MLS had 10 Peter Wilts the journey to profitability would be a lot shorter than it looks like it will be. Heck if it had Peter Wilts in Miami and Tampa a couple of years ago, MLS might still have 12 teams.
We do have the classiset GM in the game. As much as fans are sentimental about players, if a GM has winning as the number one goal, sentimentality has no place.
After all, we all know that "organizations win championships" Oh, I just couldn't resist I suppose I probably shouldn't have invoked the image of Crumbs Krause when you started your post with the true and appropriate compliment to Peter as the classiest in the business.
Not to be too cynical (It was a nice letter) does this concern any of your Fire fans that perhaps season ticket sales are WAY off of last years pace? Usually a GM makes this kind of appeal only when they have to. In this case, Extremely poor ticket sales an angry fans not renewing their seats would make a GM HAVE to respond. Just a thought... Mike
If this was the first time Peter had ever talked to the fans, you'd have a point. But this is par for the course with our great GM. Yeah, he knows that a significant portion of his team's fanbase is outraged by recent events, but he's been willing to keep fans informed in the past during the good times and we have no reason to believe that this is anything other than the continuance of that commendable policy.
It was sounding like Season ticket renewals were doing fine. Unless people started calling in and wanting their money back... Plus, if that was the case, then they would have sent out a hard-copy letter to everyone on the physical mailing list. I haven't received one yet (BTW, I sent in my renewal check this week, so the slightly hungover sounding British guy from the front office can stop calling , j/k about the hungover part). However, I did mention to Jim last night when this came out that I figured that the number one phone call into CFHQ is no longer swearing in section 8.
I nearly teared up reading through this Love-Fest. PW - Thank you for caring the way we do, and doing something about it. Now that the shock of attrition has run it's course, I am truly feeling the optimism of the offseason. Maybe it won't be that bad, maybe we can contend for a championship. I can hold those hopes until they are no longer realistic to hope. Besides, being a Chicago sports fan, I habitually have to take adavantage of this short season of hope called the offseason. Go Fire!
Well, I had season tickets last year and wasn't planning to renew. I'd still go to selected games, but given the negative developments with the team, the stadium, and, more importantly, my bank balance, I wasn't planning to renew. Peter's comments was very well put, logical, and passionate; they gave me pause for thought that our team might not be as bad as previously thought and may be able to compete (assuming we are rid of the injury bug!). So, I think I'm going to try a little money aside each week and try to pull together the necessary funds to get season tickets again by the first game kickoff! I would imagine they will still be available at the currenly listed rates come April 1st or so. By the way, I didn't realize the guy the Metros (Bradley) drafted (Ricardo Clark) played for the Fire Reserves...Just goes to show you, inside information can't hurt...
Re: From a Revolution Fan I don't see how having PW anywhere else but Chicago would produce the same result exactly...it's his job here, but he also loves the club. If you put him in Miami I doubt if that would be the case. It might have been a bit different (probably not considering the owner) if he'd even had gone to work for such a guy, but I doubt it would be the same as it is here. That's all. To the rest of you: Geez, keep it in your pants.
Hey, even *I* remember when Stacey King and Jerry "Jelly D" Krause combined for 40 points in the 91 Finals! Jelly D shut down Magic by hisself in that series!
Yes, but that was passee, given Sellers long standing repulation as a take-no-prisoners, all-around bruiser/enforcer? Remember when he single-handedly took out Mahorn and Laimbeer, rendering the "Bad Boys" muscle impotent for the sure-fire Jordan sorties that were going to follow such an incredible display of brute force, power, and utter fortitude!
Definitely a class act! A few years back I signed up for every team's email list. I consistently get messages from four teams. I have been a Revolution season ticket holder for years and that's supposed to get me special 'Center Circle' access/messages. The 'sad' part is I get more information and feel more valued to the Fire than I do the Revs!!! KF
At the risk of being redundant, Peter Wilt has once again made the fans feel like part of the team. That's leadership. That's class. He IS the best!
Being from a Polish background the news of Nowak leaving came as a shock. But eventhough there are no Polish players left on the team and I have never lived in Chicago the Fire will remain my Club in the US. I hope we can acquire some Polish players in the future or some international talent. I think that always makes the club more exciting...South Americans are not getting paid much and on time these days so maybe MLS can take advantage of that...